AS banks continue working tirelessly to implement measures to combat card fraud, customers are urged to always be extra vigilant and take advantage of the security measures available to them when transacting.
Ryan Prozesky, CEO of Value Banking Solutions at FNB, says fraudsters go to extreme measures to trick customers out of their hard earned cash.
“As the old adage says ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ don’t wait until you become a victim of fraud to familiarise yourself with important measures to keep your bank cards safe,” he said.
Prozesky said people should review their account statements on a regular basis and query disputed transactions with your bank immediately.
“Do not send e-mails that quote your card number and expiry date. Ensure that you get your own card back after every purchase, never write down your PIN or disclose it to anyone and report lost and stolen cards immediately,” he said.
He said people should never let their card be out of your sight when making payments. Your card is not transferable and only the person whose name appears on the front of the card is authorised to use it.
Prozesky suggested if people have debit, cheque and credit cards, they don’t choose the same PIN for them all.
“Always ensure that the amount reflecting on the Point of Sale device is the correct purchase amount before entering your PIN, and keep your transaction slips and check them against your statement to spot any suspicious transactions and query them immediately,” he said.
He urged people never to accept help from strangers when using an ATM, to use one hand to shield the other hand while keying in the PIN and should your card be retained by an ATM, contact your bank and block your card before you leave the ATM.
“Store your bank’s Call Centre number on your cellphone so that you have it handy should you need to stop your card and subscribe to your bank’s SMS notification services; this will inform you of any transactional activity on your account. Taking time to review these tips annually and keeping up to date with the latest fraud schemes can give you peace of mind when transacting on your card,” concluded Prozesky.
